Dyeing-machine.



H. M. DUDLEY.

DYEING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5. I91]- 1,26 1,498. PatentedApr. 2, 1918.

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I avwewfom HQM. DUDLEY.

DYEING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-15.19!!- l,261,4=98. Patented Apr.2,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- FFIQE.

HOWARD MI. DUDLEY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DYEING-MACHINE.

Application filed February 15, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. DUDLEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements inDyeing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a dyeing machine and refers particularly to amachine adapted for the dyeing of textile fibers compressed within adyeing chamber, the dyeing being accomplished by the forced passage ofthe dye liquor through the fiber mass.

Among the objects of my invention is a dyeing machine particularlysuitable for the dyeing of warps in the ball, whereby the condition ofthe fiber may be accurately and readily judged at any stage of thetreatment without opening the dyeing chamber and whereby even resultsmay be obtained without disturbing the fiber to be dyed.

Another object of my invention is a dyeing machine in which the dyedgoods may be after-treated with water, steam, air, or other materials orsubstances without han-' dling the dyed goods.

Other objects of my invention will be evident upon a consideration of myspecification and claims.

I have found that the even or uneven dyeing results obtained in amachine of this general character depend largely upon the particularshape of the openings through which the dye liquor enters the fibermass, and that unevenness can be prevented by the use of openings of aparticular shape, the conformation of which enables the liquor to spreaditself through the fiber mass without the formation of channels of flow.

I have further found that this desirable result can be obtained if thefiber-mass is supported in the dyeing chamber upon a series of upwardlyand downwardly converging elements, as spindles, arranged alonglongitudinally disposed openings for the passage of the dye-liquor orother substances or material.

I have further found that the evenness of the dyeings and treatments maybe enhanced by inclosing the fiber in a series of containers and passingthe treating liquid through these containers and the fiber containedtherein.

In the use of many dyestuffs it is necessary, after dyeing to treat thedyed goods with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Serial No. 148,711.

water for washing purposes, or with solutions of chemicals such asmetallic salts or oxidizing products, for the purpose of aftertreatment,or with oxygen or air for oxidizing or drying purposes. In the followingof these after-treatments it is essential that every portion of the dyedgoods be thoroughly and uniformily treated and that the operation beperformed as readily and quickly aS possible. All of these results areobtainable by the use of the device of my invention, in which the goodsare placed in the dyeing chamber and then rapidly, easily and completelydyed and after-treated without further handling of the goods and withoutthe formation of channels by the liquids employed. The device thereforeinsures even and uniform results with a minimum of time, labor andexpense.

One form of my device is shown in the accompanying drawings in whichsimilar parts are designated by similar numerals.

Figure 1 is a side view of one form of my invention, partly broken awayto disclose a portion in cross-section.

Fig. 2 is a broken cross-section through the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of one of the several fiber-carryingtrays.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged side view of two of the broken rods in the lowerchamber of my device.

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. i.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the line 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified form of two of the rods in the lowerchamber of my device.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section through the line 8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a broken top-plan View of a modification of the foraminousplate shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a broken enlarged side view of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a modified top member.

Fig. 12 is a side View of a modified form of two of the rods.

Fig. 13 is a cross-section through the line 13' of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14; is a broken top-plan view of a modification of the foraminousplate shown in Fig. 2.

The outer portion of the dyeing machine, as illustrated, comprises theupwardly converging cover 12 removably attached to the annular member 13by the screw bolts 14;, 14, the member 13 being movably attached to theshell 15 by means of the screw bolts 16, 16, the shell 15 being attachedto the shell 17 by the bolts 18,18,the shell 17 being attached to thedownwardly converging shell, 19, by the bolts 20, 20, the shell 19 beingattached to the centrifugal pump 21 by the bolts 22, 22. The pipe 23connects the chamber of the pump 21 with the threeway pipe 2 1-, thelatter having the pipes 25, 26 and 27 fitted respectively with thevalves 28, 29 and 30. The pipe 25 is connected with an air compressornot shown; the pipe 26 opens into the air and the pipe 27 may beconnected with a drain or receptacle as desired. The pump 21 isconnected with the pipe 31, which in turn is connected with the pipe 32,the latter being connected with the pipe 33 carrying the valve 31, thepipe carrying the valve 36 and the pipe 37 carrying the valve 38. Thepipe 33 is connected with a dye-dissolving tank, not shown, the pipe 35is connected with a liquor-reserve tank 39, and the pipe 37 is connectedwith a water supply.

The object of the reserve tank 39 is to allow of the production and useof a larger quantity of dye liquor than is necessary to fill the dyeingdevice. By this means the strength of the dye-liquor may be governed tomeet the requirements of each individual dyeing operation, and theliquid maintained in a condition where the dye will not be precipitatedupon the fiber. It also allows a more uniform supply of liquor to thepump 21.

The annular member 13 is of angular shape, one arm of which 410 fitswithin the interior face of the shell 15 and is slidable therein, itsvertical movement being governed by means of the screw-bolts 16, 16which thread in the projection d1, 411 of the shell 15.

The pipe 12 connects the upper portion of the interior of the shell 15with the liquor reserve tank 39 and carries the valve 13. The pipe 1 1,carrying the valve 15 may be connected with a drain, not shown.

A. fixed fiber-supporting chamber d6 is situated within the shells 15and 17 and comprises a series of parallel grate-bars 17 17, the bars ofwhich carry upwardly and downwardly disposed pointed spindles 18, 18,allowing the series of openings 19, 19 between the grate-bars. A seriesof upwardly extending lugs 7 0, 7 0' are fixedly attached to the outerperiphery of the bottom of the tray 96, and an annular imperforate sidemember 71 integral with the gratebars 17 17 extends upwardly to the topof the lugs 70, 7 0, said side member 71 being integral with and fixedlyattached to the interior faces of the lugs 7 O, 70.

The lugs 70, 7 0 are vertically movable chamber 88.

within the lug-chambers 72, 72 of the shell 15. The interior of thefiber-supporting chamber 16 is therefore formed by the gratebars e7, 17and the annular side member 71.

The device is provided with a number of removable fiber-supportingchambers 73, 7 1, the construction of which is similar to that of thechamber 46, each chamber being capable of a position over and upon thechamber beneath it. A similar chamber 88 is used as a top chamber, nofiber being contained therein.

In order to facilitate reference to the various chambers, they willhereafter be referred to as the top chamber 51, the liquor supplychamber 53, and the lower cham.

ber 54.

A sample dyeing machine 55 eXactly'similar to the one above describedexcept that it is in smaller proportion and carries the threaded closedtop 56 instead of the top 12, is connected to the liquor-supply chamber53 by the pipe 57 carrying the valve 58. The upper portion of the samplemachine 55 is connected with a pipe 59, capable of being revolved intothe position shown by the dotted line 60.

A. pipe 61 connects the thermometer 62 with the liquor-supply chamber54c, the pipe (51 being extendedv beyond. the thermometer into the pipe63, capable of being revolved into the position shown by the dotted lineor.

A perforated steam pipe 55 is within the liquor supply chamber 53.

The top chamber 51 contains a series of round pointed rods, 66, (56,supported by the diamond shaped bars 67, 67. A. series of similar bars,68, 8, supported by the members 69. 69 are. situated within the lowerchamber 51, and a series of similar bars 75, are situated within thechamber of the pump 21.

The operation of the lows The top 12, the annular member 13 and thefiber-carrying chambers 88, 73 and 7e are removed. The fiber-carryingchamber 41-6 is properly packed with the fiber to be treated, and thefiber-carrying chambers 73 and 71-. which have been previously packed.with the fiber, are placed thereon and the chamber 88 placed upon thechamber The annular member 13 is then introduced and moved downwardly bymeans of the screw bolts 16, 16 threaded in the projecting members 11,11, the annular member 13 pressing upon the lugs of the This downwardmovement of the annular member 13 is continued until the fiber-carryingchambers 16, S8, 73 and 74k are pressed firmly upon each other. Goodsaresimilarly placed in the sample device 55. Valves 15, 28, 29, 30, 38and 34. are closed and valves 58, 43 and 36 are device is as fol.

opened, and the pipes 59 and 63 situated as shown by the dotted lines 60and 64. The necessary dyestuff having been dissolved in thedye-dissolving tank, not :shown, connected with the pipe 33, the valve34: is opened and the centrifugal pump 21 is started. The pump 21 forcesthe dye liquor upwardly between the rods 75, and 68, 68, in the chamberof the pump 21 and the bottom chamber 54, the liquor supply chamber 53,the foraminous bottoms of the fibercarrying chambers 46, 74: and 73, andthe goods contained therein, and the chamber 88. As the liquor rises itwill pass through the overflow pipe 12 into the liquor-reserve tank 39,from which it will pass through the pipe35 into the pump 21, thusallowing of a continuous circulation of the dye-liquor upwardly throughthe device. During this operation the dye-liquor is forced upwardlythrough the sample device 55 and the goods contained therein. Thetemperature is varied by means of steam introduced through thesteam-pipe 65 and the temperature determined by means of the thermometer62. From time to time, the valve 58 is closed, the top 56 of the sampledevice 55 removed and the goods contained therein examined to determinetheir condition, and the top 56 replaced and the valve 58 opened and thedyeing operation continued until a test of the goods in the sampledevice shows them to be properly dyed.

The next step is the removal of the dye liquor contained in the device.This is accomplished by closing valves 43, 3tand 86, opening valve 30and stopping the pump 21. This allows all of the dye-liquor in thedevice to drain through the pipe 27 into a suitable receptacle forfuture use if desired.

The next step is that of washing the ex cess of dye-liquor from thegoods and this is accomplished by closing valve 30 and opening valves 38and 4:5, and starting pump 21. This allows fresh water to enter throughthe pipes 37, 32 and 31 into the pump 21 which forces it upwardlythrough the (levies and the goods contained therein and through theover-flow pipe 1 1 into a drain.

The next step is that of oxidizing the dyeings, if oxidizable, by meansof air or of d the goods. This is accomplished by plat .g the pipes 59and 63 in the position shown by the full lines, placing the top 12 uponthe device, affixing it thereto by means of the screw-bolts 1st, 14, andattaching the upper open end of the top 12 to a vacuum or suction pump,not shown. The valves anc 38 are closed, the valve 29 is opened, and thepump 21 stopped. The vacuum or suction pump attached to the top 12 thusdraws air through the pipe 26 upwardly through the device and the goodscontained therein. If the amount of air thus obtained is insufficientfor the purposes desired, the valve 28 connecting the pipe 25 with anair compressor may be opened and the valve 29 closed and thus sullicientair may be obtained. It is evident that the air passing through. thepipes 25 and 26 may be heated before its introduction into the device,if desired.

The particular formation of the foraminous bottoms of the fiber-carryingchambers 16, 73 and 7t and the chamber 88 causes the dye liquor to bespread out and evenly distributed through the goods, causing evendyoings, the similarity of the foraminous bottoms causes a more regularpressure of the dye liquor within. the fiber and the rod members (36,66; (38, (S8 and 75, 75 intensify this distribution and regularity ofpressure.

It is to be further noted that the goods are dyed, washed andafter-treated or dried without handling, and that all of the operationsare under exactly the same conditions, and that the condition of thegoods bcing dyed or treated can be determined at any time during theoperation without in terrnpting the operation by examining the goods inthe sample device Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of the rods(56, (3G; 68, 68 and 75, 75, the rods 76, 76 being round and the pointedor tapered ends of the form.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13, the foraminousbottom of the fiber-carrying chamber comprises a series of upwardly anddownwardly pointed square spindles 77, 77, arranged along the grate-bars7S, 7 8, allowing the openings 79, 79, while the grate-bars 78, 78 havesquare openings 80, 80 to allow of the passage of the liquid. In thismodification the various chambers contain a series of pointed squarerods 81, 81, supported by the members 82, 82, and the exterior shells ofthe device are rectangular in form, as shown.

In the modification shown in Fig. 14, the grate-bars 83, 83 of theforaminons bottom of the fiber-carrying chambers have round pointedspindles, 8 1', 81-, with the elongated openings 85, 85 and the roundopenings 86, 86. In this device, I prefer to have the fibercarryingchambers and the sheell 15 of a circular form as shown.

In the modification shown in Fig. 11, the top 12 of Fig. 1 is replacedby the top 87.

I do not limit myself to the particular size, shape, number orarrangement of parts as illustrated and described, as any or all of themmay be varied without going beyond the scope of my invention asdescribed and claimed.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series of fiberchambers, each fiber chamber comprising a side member and a foran'iinousbottom having a number edit,

of vertically disposed spindles, and means for forcing-a liquid throughthe openings in the series offoraminous bottoms.

In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series of removablefiber chambers adjacent to each other, each chamber con'iprising animperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles arranged along parallel openings in thebottom, means for holding said chambers in position and means forforcing a liquid through the series of foraminous bottoms.

3.- ln a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambei"- adjacent to each other, each chambercomprising an imperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having anumber of vertically disposed spindles, a second chaml'ier below thefiber chambers, a series of vertically disposed rods within the secondchamber and means for forcing a liquid upwardly between the rods in thesecond chamber and the foraminous bottoms of the series of fiberchambers.

t. In a dyeing machine. in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambers adjacent to each other, each chamber comprisingan imperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles arranged along parallel openings in thebottom, means for holding said chambers in position, a liquid supplychamber below the fiber chambers, a chamber below the supply chamber,aseries of vertically disposed rods within the last-mentioned chamber,means for forcing a liquid through the device, a reserve tank, means forconducting a liquid from the top of the receptacle to the reserve tankand means for conducting the liquid from the reserve tank to the liquidforcing means.

5. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambers adjacent to each other, each chamber comprisingan imperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles arranged along parallel openings in thebottom, meansfor holding said chambers in position, a liquid supplychamber below the fiber chambers, a

chamber below the supply chamber, a series of vertically disposed rodswithin the lastmentioned chamber, a pump chamber, a pump, a reservetank, means for conducting a liquid from above the fiber chambers to thereserve tank and means for conducting the liquid from the reserve tankto the pump.

6. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series of fiberchambers, each fiber chamber comprising a side member and a foraminousbottom having a number of vertically disposed spindles, a smallertesting device, similar and proportionate to menses the larger deviceand exterior thereto, connecting means below the foraminous bottom ofthe two devices for the passage of a liquid and means for forcing aliquid through the openings in the series of foraminous bottoms in bothdevices.

7. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambers adjacent to each other, each chamber comprisingan impcrforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles arranged along parallel openings in thebottom, means for holding said members in position, a smaller testingdevice, similar and proportionate to the larger device and exteriorthereto, connecting means below the foraminous bottoms within the twodevices for the passage of a liquid and means for forcing a liquidthrough the openings in the series of for-aminous bottoms in bothdevices.

8. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambers adjacent to each other, each chamber comprisingan imperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles, a second chamber below the fiber chambers,a series of vertically disposed rods within the second chamber, asmaller testing device containing a fiber chamber and a foraminousbottom similar and proportionate to those in the larger device andexterior thereto and means for forcing a liquid equally through bothdevices.

9. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series of fiberchambers adjacent to each other, each fiber chamber comprising animperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles, means for forcing a liquid through theopenings in the foraminous bottoms and thence upwardly through theseries of fiber chambers and means for forcing air through the openingsin the f'oraminous bottoms and thence upwardly through the series offiber chambers.

10. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambers adjacent to each other, each cham bercomprising an imperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having anumber of vertically disposed spindles, a second chamber below the fiberchambers, a series of vertically disposed rods within the secondchamber, a third chamber above the fiber chambers, a series ofvertically disposed rods within the third chamber, means for forcing aliquid through the chambers and means for forcing air through the threesets of chambers.

11. In a dyeing machine, in combination, a receptacle, a series ofremovable fiber chambers adjacent to each other, each chamber comprisingan imperforate side member and a foraminous bottom having a number ofvertically disposed spindles, a second chamber below the fiber chamber,a series of vertically disposed rods within the second chamher, a thirdchamber above the fiber cham- Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing similar and proportionate to, andexterior to, the larger device, conneetin means below the foraminousbottoms wit iin the two devices for the passage of a liquid, means forforcing a liquid through the two devices.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis 12th day of February 1917.

HOWARD M. DUDLEY.

the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

